Motorola to use Windows Media DRM in multimedia phones

Motorola Inc. announced on Monday that it is set to include Microsoft's Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) software on upcoming multimedia phones. The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), during Chief Executive Ed Zander's keynote speech. Supporting Windows MediaDRM opens up Motorola phones to music from many online music download stores.

Mobile phones with music playback capabilities have yet to enter the same "spotlight" as items such as items such as Apple's iPod. However, Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia revealed that last year the company sold almost 40 million multimedia phones in total and nearly 70 million music phones.

6 user comments

-Do you believe you own your computer and shouldn't be told what you can run and do? Then say *NO* to Microsoft Vista!
-Since half the questions here involve media problems, here ya go: Only use Verbatim or Taiyo-Yuden discs (get your TYs from Rima.com, not Supermediastore or meritline). Forget the rest, no matter what "brand" they sell under. Always burn at 4x speed regardless of the speed rating of this discs or your drive. If you have burn problems with these then you have to update your drive's firmware. For double-layer discs, only use Verbatim DVD+R DL and burn them at 2.4x speed.

This is a mixed bag. It does not limit what types of files the phone will play, that's still up to Motorola. It will however, allow the phone to play files that have the Windows DRM infection provided you have the "right" to play them back and everything works as planned...
I don't like DRM either...

I don't care what the product is, if it includes DRM I'm not buying it. That includes Motorola, a phone I use now, Vista, and any HD/Blue Ray device that can only be attached with a device that enforces DRM. If people don't buy this junk the warehouses will fill up and they will have to rethink this idiotic, invasive nonsense.